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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23647663">5 Times Reddie Came Out + 1 Time They Didn’t Want To</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebloogirl/pseuds/littlebloogirl'>littlebloogirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddie (2017/2019) As Told By Atlas [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5 + 1, Both f slurs, Boys Kissing, Coming Out, Cuddling, F/M, Henry Bowers is His Own Warning, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Sonia Kaspbrak’s A+ parenting, The Losers are Good Friends, but like briefly, hand holding, implied racism, supportive friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:54:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23647663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebloogirl/pseuds/littlebloogirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Richie and Eddie coming out to each other and then the losers and Sonia eventually finding out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(IMPLIED), Bill Denbrough/Beverly Marsh, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reddie (2017/2019) As Told By Atlas [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>5 Times Reddie Came Out + 1 Time They Didn’t Want To</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">I.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">EACH OTHER</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Richie Tozier loved the arcade. It definitely helped that he was currently playing his favorite game with Connor Bowers, the really cute cousin of his tormentor. The game ended and the boy smiled “Uh, well, I gotta go.” he began to walk away but Richie called after him “Um, how bout we go again.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   The blonde boy looked interested for a moment and then Henry Bowers and his gang walked in. Connor looked at his cousin before turning back to Richie and frowning “Why are you being weird? I’m not your fucking boyfriend.” Richie’s face fell and he tried to stutter out a defense but it was too late and now Bowers was paying attention and walking towards them and Connor said something about fairies but Richie couldn’t hear over the sound of his heart beating in his ears. The next thing he knew Henry was screaming “Get the fuck outta here faggot!” at him and he was stumbling out of the arcade. Stumbling became running when he felt tears pricking his eyes as he slammed open the door.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   He ran and ran until his legs hurt. He found himself sitting on a bench desperately trying to catch his breath in front of a Paul Bunyan statue. The statue in front of him symbolized everything he wasn’t. The man was big and strong and brave and he probably never had any impure feelings for other men. He sat there, wiping tears from his eyes for a moment before he heard a scratchy voice say his name. He looked up and the statue was gone he turned his head to the side and there Paul Bunyan was, with razor sharp teeth, screaming at him as bats flew out of its mouth towards Richie. Richie screamed and the statue stood, raising its axe and slamming the spiked handle down on the bench seconds after Richie got up. Richie started running again and the statue followed. It swung the axe handle back and forth, trying to catch Rich before finally slamming it into the ground causing Richie to trip and fall hard onto the grass.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   He curled into a ball whispering to himself that it wasn’t real. When the axe didn’t come crashing down, he looked up and statue was gone. He was breathing heavily and laid back for a minute before getting up and walking with out any real destination. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true he knew exactly where he was going, but he didn’t want to.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   He walked up the Kaspbrak’s driveway, hoping that Sonia wasn’t home. He knocked on the door and when it opened, Eddie was behind it. His arm was still in the cast and he was glaring. “What the fuck happened to you?” he asked. That’s when Richie realized he had grass stains all over his clothes, his eyes must have been red and cheeks puffy from crying, and he had grass in his hair. “Bowers and then It. Can I just come in?” Eddie moved out of the way and Richie walked into the house and sat down in the dining room. Eddie followed him and sat across from him at the table. Richie took a deep breath and exhaled shakily.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “Eddie, can I tell you something?” Richie fidgeted with his fingers in his lap. Eddie nodded, something was very wrong. He looked across the table at the boy he’d known for quite a while and barely recognized his behavior. Richie was usually confident, loud and obnoxious but sat across from Eddie now was a timid, quiet replica of his friend. Richie took another shaky breath “I was in the arcade playing Street Fighter with Connor Bowers and when the game was over I asked if he wanted to play again and he would’ve but then Bowers came in and he called me a faggot.” tears had started to slowly spill out of his eyes again “Then I went to the plaza and the Bunyan statue that was there came to life and fucking chased me and shit I thought I was gonna die.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “Is that it? Richie we go through all that shit all the time.” Richie shook his head “No, I think,” he paused barely bringing himself to say what came next “I think Bowers is right.” a thick silence hung over them for a long time before Eddie spoke up. “Me too.” Richie looked up at him, suddenly hopeful “Really?” he asked cautiously. He was ready for it to be a joke, for Eddie to laugh in his face, to tell him to get the fuck out. What he wasn’t ready for, was Eddie reaching across the table for his hand “Really.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Richie squeezed Eddie’s hand “What a sad revelation.” Eddie raised an eyebrow “What the fuck are you talking about?” Richie’s face broke out in a big grin “I‘m gonna have to tell your mother we have to end our affair.” Eddie recoiled and yanked his hand back “You’re so fucking gross.” he groaned and Richie laughed. “Is this a good time to tell you I’m gay for you?” Richie spoke before he could think, which he does a lot. The room got quiet again before Eddie spoke up “Are you serious?” Richie winced slightly, he could take it back now. He could lie and say “I’m fucking with you.” but he doesn’t. He looks at Eddie “I’m serious, for once.” his own words surprise him.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Eddie reaches for his inhaler and takes a puff. “I may be gay for you too.” they smiled at each other, hands held together talking about where to go from here and really just anything they could think of after until Eddie had to rush Richie out just before Sonia got back.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">II.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">STANLEY</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Stanley Uris liked to think he was observant when it came to Richie, so when he starts acting more careful around Eddie, Stan notices. He noticed when Richie’s crude jokes about Eddie’s mom lessened and Stan’s religion became Richie’s new favorite thing to make fun of.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   One day, when Richie was hanging out at Stan’s house, he asked him about it. “What’s up with you and Eddie?” what was meant to be a harmless question made Richie go stiff. Stanley didn’t mean to imply anything, but Richie couldn’t keep himself from thinking that this was it, Stan found out. “What do you mean?” came out a little too defensive. Stan sat down on his bed and shrugged “You’re not being as much of a dick to him anymore. What happened, he kick your ass?”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Richie’s throat was dry and he was far too stiff and quiet for far too long for this to just be shrugged off. He had to tell Stanley. He had known Stanley before he knew any of the other losers. He shakily sighed and sat down next to Stan, legs feeling like numb jelly and he thought he may just puke. “Um,” Richie tries to start but he stops again and, shit why was this so hard. Stan noticed that Richie was beyond pale and puts an arm around his shoulders, “It’s okay, you know you can tell me anything.” </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Richie let out a dry laugh and inhaled sharply through his nose “Eds and I, we’re” he trails off, Stanley has to already know at this point but he stays there, arm around Richie waiting for him to finish. “We’re together.” Stanley looked at Richie “Yeah?” and all Richie could do was nod. Stanley pulled Richie in closer and held him “I’m sorry.” he says and Richie pulls away, looking at him with furrowed brows. “For what?” he asks pushing his glasses up on his face.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “For making you feel scared. Making you feel like you couldn’t tell me.” Richie just groans “Don’t be fucking caring that’s gross!”. The two burst into laughter and carry on like nothing even happened.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">III.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">MIKE</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Mike and Eddie were walking home after Mike’s date with a pretty girl, Angela Bentley. Angela was gorgeous, pretty brown, curly hair and dazzling brown eyes, a genuine smile, but she was white. This wasn’t their first date, but her parents were not happy with the rumor that she was dating a black boy. Mike almost got his ass beat walking home after one of their dates one day and after he told the losers, it became policy that at least one loser would have to go out with them to make the “we’re just friends” excuse more believable. Eddie had volunteered this time.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “I can’t believe I have to go through this shit just because I’m black. I hate that I can’t hold her hand or kiss her cheek in public.” Mike kicked a pebble and it skittered away, he put his hands in his pockets and let his head drop. Eddie let out a pitiful chuckle “Yeah, I get it.” without even noticing what he said, Eddie realized Mike had stopped walking and turned to look at him.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Mike’s face was scrunched up as he looked at Eddie, “No offense man, but you definitely don’t ‘get it’, don’t know what it’s like to have to hide the person you care about.” Eddie felt courage, something he had gotten used to since they had all defeated It three months ago. “I do though, Mike.” Mike just shook his head, crossing his arms “Okay, how? You got some dark skinned girl you’ve been hiding from us? Is it that Melissa girl in pre algebra? I know you gave her a pencil.” his brow was cocked and he was grinning, he knew Eddie didn’t have some secret partner. Or at least, he thought he did. “No, actually it’s...” the courage had nearly melted away, but with one deep breath he used the rest of it “Richie.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Mike stood there, eyes wide and mouth slightly open “For real?” Eddie nodded “Yeah.” Mike walked towards Eddie and slung his arm around Eddie’s shoulders. He brought Eddie’s head down and ruffled his hair “I’m proud of you man. Hey, is that why he isn’t as much of an insufferable dick to you?” Eddie slipped out from under Mike’s arm and tried to fix his hair, “Yeah, I guess. Poor Stan though.” They looked down and chuckled “Maybe we can turn these supervised dates into secret double dates.” Mike said starting to walk again.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “Yeah, maybe.” Eddie decided he’d like like that very much.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">IV.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">BEN</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   The losers were sleeping over at Bill’s house and had decided to watch Child’s Play. It was mainly Beverly’s idea but none of the boys wanted to seem like pussies so they agreed. They piled up in the living room, squeezed together on the couch was Stanley, Ben, Richie, and Eddie while Mike, Bill, and Bev stayed on the floor.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   They were about half way through the movie when Ben looked over a noticed Eddie’s head on Richie’s shoulder, Richie’s head resting on his. A hand absentmindedly played with Eddie’s hair, Richie’s eyes were glued to the screen. Ben shrugged it off, there were too many of them on the couch and it was dark so he figured his mind was playing tricks on him.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   By the end of the movie, Bev and Mike had fallen asleep on either side of Bill, and Stanley and Eddie had fallen asleep on the couch. Bill looked back at Ben and Richie “C-coul-d you g-uys get somme b-lankets?” he reached for the remote and turned the T.V off. Ben and Richie nodded and Ben glanced over, watching Richie carefully move Eddie’s head before kissing his forehead. Ben pretended not to see anything and went upstairs followed by Richie to grab three blankets.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   When they got to the closet, Ben looked at Richie, “So, you and Eddie?” the fear that had overcome him when Stan had asked a couple months ago bubbled in his stomach again. This time though, he pushed it back down “Yeah, a few months now. After we had all split.” Ben nodded and handed Richie a blanket “I won’t tell anyone.” Richie took it and another when he was handed it “Stan and Mike know.” They headed back downstairs and settled back down, joining the others in sleep.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">V.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">BILL AND BEV</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Richie and Eddie were alone in the clubhouse, sitting in the hammock enjoying each other’s company. Richie suddenly sat up and Eddie followed, causing the hammock to dip much more in the middle forcing them closer.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “Ya know,” Richie said, looking at Eddie “we’ve been together for months and we haven’t kissed yet.” Eddie made a face of disgust “Dude, gross! We could get mono or cold sores or- or fucking herpes!” Richie scrunched up his face “Doesn’t one of us have to have those to give them?”. Eddie contemplated it. He wasn’t exactly opposed to kissing Richie, just whatever diseases came with it, but Richie was right and neither of them had anything.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Eddie sighed and put his head on Richie’s shoulder, kissing his cheek. He could see Richie’s face get red so he took the moment and turned Richie’s head, bringing their lips together. Richie moved on top on Eddie and they kept kissing, not even anything heated, just kissing. They heard the clubhouse door open and even though most of the losers already knew, Eddie shoved Richie off of him and to the ground. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Bill and Bev’s heads were visible from the open door and they were looking at each other. Bill broke out into a huge smile “You o-owe me t-en b-b-ucks!” Beverly groaned “Remind me later.” she looked back to the pair in the clubhouse “How long?” Eddie spoke first panicked “That was the first time and I swear I don’t have herpes!” Richie chuckled and shook his head “About,” he counted in his fingers “shit, five months?” at the realization he couldn’t keep himself from grinning up at Eddie who rolled his eyes with a smile.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   “We won’t tell anyone.” Beverly had climbed down into the clubhouse. Eddie and Richie exchanged a look before Eddie said “The others already know.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">+ I.</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p1">
  <strong>
    <span class="s1">SONIA</span>
  </strong>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   By some miracle, Sonia had let Richie come over alone. Maybe she gave up on trying to control Eddie’s friends, or maybe she realized she couldn’t. The boys were in Eddie’s room, reading the new Wolverine comic. Richie had snuck it over because even though Sonia may have been more lenient with who he was friends with now, she would never buy Eddie something so violent.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Richie was laying basically on top of Eddie’s back, chin on his shoulder reading the comic with him. As Eddie turned the final page and closed it, Richie kissed his cheek. “Ew, do you know how many fucking germs are on my cheek? Or on your lips?” Eddie took his hand a quickly wiped at his cheek. Richie rolled his eyes and rolled off Eddie, sitting on the edge of the bed.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Eddie followed and sat next to him, holding his hand. Richie let his head rest on Eddie’s shoulder and Eddie gave Richie a quick kiss on the head before resting his head on Richie’s. They just sat there, staring at the floor, for ages before wrapping their arms around each other and just taking in the fact that this was real.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   As Richie pecked Eddie’s lips, the bedroom door opened “Eddie bear I think-” as Sonia entered, Richie dove to the floor but the damage was done. Sonia’s eyes were wide, face growing red “Oh Eddie,” she tried to put on an incredibly unbearable saccharine voice “he’s made you sick. He’s made you so, so sick.” She stepped towards the still frozen Eddie and placed her hand on his cheek. Then, she pulled her hand back and brought it back down hard.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   The noise and pain snapped Eddie and Richie out of the trance they were in and Eddie brought his hand up to hold his face “Mommy, no I-“ Sonia cut him off, “After everything I’ve done for you. After all these years of trying to keep you safe. He just destroys it all.” she turned to Richie “You disgusting child. You’ve perverted my boy, infected him. Coerced him into believing he’s sick like you. I should’ve know to trust you least of all. The rumors that you spy on boys, that you would touch them if you could. All of them are true.”</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   Again, she raised her hand high above her and Richie flinched, curled in on himself like the day with the statue, but this was real. He waited for the hand to come down but instead he heard Sonia yelp and before he knew what was happening, he was being pulled out of the Kaspbrak’s front door. The two ran until they couldn’t see the house anymore before stopping. Eddie frantically unzipped and searched through his fanny pack before pulling out his inhaler and taking a puff.</span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s3">   He put it back away and went to hug Richie. “None of what she said was true, Rich. I’m sorry.” Richie shook his head “Why? Wasn’t your fault.” Eddie considered this and then something else hit him “Oh my god, Richie I left your comic back there.” Richie just shrugged “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go to my house.” Eddie furrowedhis brows “But your parents, what would we tell them?” Richie started walking and gestures for Eddie to follow “I don’t think they’ll mind.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Should I follow up with them coming out to Richie's parents? And also maybe them remembering this 27 years later and coming out to the losers all over again?  I probably will anyways but hopefully you guys read it lol.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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